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I was 21 when I got my first place and immediately adopted a couple of black kittens. I named one Meatloaf (she looked like a pile of burnt meatloaf when she slept) and the other Booger (who was such a mischievous booger all the time). When I moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains six years later, Booger escaped and was never seen again, but thankfully, Meatloaf didn't care to make a break for it. After 16 wonderful years together, it broke my heart to have to put Meatloaf to sleep due to kidney issues. I wasn't in a hurry to get another cat, as I felt like I was trying to replace my beautiful Meatloaf, but the universe had other plans.

My coworkers had been talking about a stray black cat hanging around the parking lot, and one night after work, I walked out to my car only to be greeted by this very talkative skinny black cat. I knew I couldn't leave her there, so I got my cat carrier and headed back to work hoping she'd still be there.

She reappeared in less than a minute, still as talkative as ever, and let me scoop her up and place her in the cat carrier without a fight. When I got her home, she crawled under the blanket with me and fell asleep. It looked like I had a new black kitty.

I named her Bones, mostly because she was skin and bones, but it suited her as she was just as sassy and smart as the TV character. The vet visit revealed she had fleas, worms and a mouthful of bad teeth, but after treatment, she put on weight and took over the house and me.

Of all the cats I've owned, she has the biggest personality and is my first cat-dog. Bones growls at people walking by the house, plays fetch with paper clips and even chases her tail from time to time. While I miss my Meatloaf and Bones can't be considered a replacement, I can't imagine life without this black kitty keeping it interesting.

Story submitted by Natasha from Santa Clara, California.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!